Adjustable means for a door latch operator



June 20, 1961 R. M. FOX 2,989,333

ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR A DOOR LATCH OPERATOR Filed Sept. 23, 1957 INVENTOR.

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TOR/ME) June 20, 1961 R. M. FOX

ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR A DOOR LATCH OPERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25

INVENTOR. flaky/f5 United tates Patent O Filed Sept. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 685,494 2 Claims. (Cl. 29228tl) This invention relates to adjustment means for a door latch operator, and more particularly to adjustment means for taking up play between the outside push button operating structure and the means which connect the push button to the door latch in an automobile door.

One feature of the invention is that it provides improved adjustment means for a door latch operator; another feature of the invention is that it provides a novel and improved means for taking up play' between a door latch push button operator and the means which connect this operator to the latch; a further feature of the invention is that it provides a first lever for operation by the push button, a second lever connected to a door latch, and releasable holding means for selectively fixing the angular relationship between the levers to compensate for variations in the location of the push rod or other door latch actuator relative to the first lever; still a further feature of the invention is that the levers are coaxially mounted and have overlapping portions which mount the releasable holding means; yet a further feature of the invention is that the holding means may comprise a clamping stud threaded into one of said levers and extending through an elongated slot in the other of said levers; still another feature of the invention is that it provides a spring extending from one lever into biasing engagement with the other lever to swing one lever relative to the other when the holding means are released; and yet a further feature of the invention is that the releasable holding means is so arranged that the clamping stud may be tightened by turning it in a direction tending to take up play in the parts.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an automobile incorporating the improved adjustment means for the front door latch operator;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse section through a portion of the front door taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, a portion of the door and connecting rod being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of FIG, 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail section through the clamping means taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3 showing the parts in one position in solid lines and in another position in broken lines;

FIG. 6 is a detail section taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section similar to a portion of FIG. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a section taken along the line 9-9 of FIG, 7.

In many automobiles the door latches are operated from the outside by a push button assembly including a push rod which abuts one arm of a bell crank lever mounted in the door and having its other arm connected to the door latch. Operation of the push button swings the bell crank to release the bolt in the door latch.

It often happens that the parts are so located that there is play between the end of the push rod and the false bell crank lever which it operates in the door. This may be due to several factors. In the first place, because of normal production tolerances in the mass production manufacture of these parts, it is not feasible to elirninate the possibility of play by making the push rod excessively long since if the push rod exceeds the normal length, the parts could not properly be mounted. However, if the push rod is shorter than normal or if the lever varies in size or in its position of mounting in the door, there may be an amount of play which is undesirable because the finger operated push button moves only a fraction of an inch upon actuation and a relatively small amount of play is definitely noticeable in the push button operation. Further, the handle assembly or door bracket upon which the push rod operated lever is mounted may vary in size and location due to normal production tolerances.

This invention provides a novel means wherein, after the parts are assembled during manufacture, a simple clamping device may be loosened and a spring will operate to take up any play between the push rod and the lever upon which it operates. The clamping means may then be tightened to hold the parts in the desired position. As a further feature of the invention, the parts are so arranged that tightening the clamping means tends further to eliminate play in the parts.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an automobile designated generally as 16 in FIG 1 has a front door 12 and a rear door 14. The front door is provided with an outside gripping handle 16 fixedly mounted on the door and carrying an actuating assembly including a finger operated push button 18 which is connected inside the door to the door latch designated generally as 20. The front door may have an inside actuator and locking means and the rear door may have a similar latch and operating means which are not illustrated.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle 16 is formed with a chamber 22 which houses the push button assembly including, in addition to the push button 18, a push rod 24 and a button return spring 26. A support 28 is formed as an integral part of the handle assembly in the construction illustrated, although if desired, this sup port may be separate from the handle assembly and may be secured on the inside of the door.

A first lever designated generally as 30 is pivotally mounted on the support 28 by means of a headed stud 32 which is threaded into the support 28. The lever 30 is formed as a bell crank having an upstanding arm 30a terminating at its upper end adjacent the end of the push rod 24 in a turned flange 30b for engagement by the push rod 24. An integral leaf spring 300 depends from the flange 30b. The other arm of the bell crank 30 extends generally horizontally and is designated as 30d. This arm has an opening 30a adjacent its free end formed with thread engaging tabs 30] as shown in FIG. 4. A plurality of barbs or serrations 34 are punched into the arm 30d.

A second lever 36 is mounted on the stud 32 coaxially with the first lever 30 for swinging movement independent of the lever 30, and a bent tab 36a on this lever seats the free end of the spring 30c, the spring being flexed from its free position into seating engagement with the flange 36a. The second lever 36 is formed with an elongated slot 38 which overlies the opening 30s: in the first lever and which is formed on an are drawn about the axis of the stud 32. A headed stud 40 extends through the slot 38 and is threaded into the opening 30e which, as pointed out earlier, is formed with the thread locking tabs 30 A washer 42 on the shank of the bolt 40 prevents the bolt head from entering the slot 38 in the second lever. By means of the bolt 40 the first and second levers may be clamped together through the overlapping portions of the levers to selectively fix the angular relationship between the levers and thus compensate for variations in the location of the end of the push rod 24 with reference to the flange 301; as will later be described.

At its free end, the lever 36 is connected by a rod 44 to the door latch 20. Only a portion of the latch is shown since latches of this type are well understood in the art. The latch is somewhat similar to the latch shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,796,276, granted on June 18, 1957, to James D. Leslie. While the particular latch illustrated is not identical with the latch shown in the Leslie patent, its principle of construction and operation are the same. The latch has a frame 50 which is secured by bolts 52 to the jamb face of the front door 12. A rotary gear type bolt 53 similar to that shown in the Leslie patent is rotably mounted on the frame on a stud 54 upon which a ratchet 56 is also secured for rotation with the bolt. A detent 58 is pivoted on the frame at 60 and has a tooth 58a engageable with a selected tooth of the ratchet 56 to hold the bolt and ratchet against rotation in one direction. Engagement of the detent tooth with the ratchet holds the door latched and prevents it from being pulled open, since the bolt engages a striker on the automobile body as shown in the Leslie patent. When the detent is swung out of engagement with the ratchet tooth, the bolt and the ratchet 56 are freely rotatale and the door may be opened. The detent is controlled from the outside through an intermittent link 62 which is connected to one end of a latch operating lever 64 pivoted intermediate its ends at 66 on the latch frame. The other end of the lever 64 is connected to the lever 36 through the rod 44. When the lever 36 is swung in a clockwise direction as the parts appear in FIG. 2, the latch operating lever 64 is swung in a clockwise direction to depress the intermittent link 62 and swing the detent clockwise out of engagement with the ratchet. It may also be seen that the connection between the lever 36 and the latch operating lever 64 determines the correct angular position of the lever 36.

After assembly, the parts may be so located that there is space or play between the flange b of the lever 30 and the end of the push rod 24 as is illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 5. Under these circumstances the clamping bolt may be loosened by means of a screw driver which may be inserted through an access opening provided in the inner panel of the door. When the bolt is loosened, the leaf spring 300 will react against the flange 36a which is formed on the lever 36. The lever 36 is held by its connection with the operating lever 64 which is turn is yieldably held in the position illustrated by a relatively strong compression spring 70 which exerts more force than does the leaf spring 300. Consequently, the first lever 30 will rotate in a clockwise direction (FIG. 5) under the force of the spring 300 until further rotation is stopped by engagement of the flange 30b with the end of the push rod 24. When the parts are in this position, as is illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 5, all undesirable play has been removed from the latch actuator. With particular reference to FIG. 5, in order to tighten the boltjit is turned in a clockwise direction so that the tightening action itself tends to remove any additional play in the parts; that is, play between the rod 24 and the flange 30b is removed by swinging the lever 30 in a clockwise direction and the bolt is tightened by turning it in a clockwise direction. As soon as the clamping action starts by virtue of the barbs or serrations 34, the clamping force will tend to rotate the flange 30b clockwise into closer engagement with the push rod 24 rather than to rotate it away from the push rod.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show a modified form of the invention .4 in which the adjustment means is mounted directly on the latch. In this species, the latch itself is the same as the latch illustrated in FIG. 2 except for a modification in the shape of the operating lever. In FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the operating lever is designated as 100 and is mounted on a stud 102 on the latch frame 50. As in FIG. 2, one end of the lever is connected to the intermittent link 62. In this embodiment of the invention, the operating lever 100 corresponds in function to the second lever 36 of the first embodiment of the invention in that the levers 36 and 100 each are connected to the door latch. Referring again to FIG. 7, a lever 104 is pivotally mounted on the stud 102 coaxially with the lever 100 and is connected by a rod 106 to a door latch actuator. The lever 100 is formed with an arcuate slot 108 and the lever 104 has an opening 110 overlying the slot 108 and adapted threadably to receive a clamping bolt 112. Serrations or barbs 114 are punched into the lever 104 to insure clamping engagement with the lever 100. A spring 116 is connected between a shoulder on the lever 104 and a flange 100:: which is bent from the lever 100 so that when the bolt 112 is loosened, the spring reacts against the flange 100a. Since the position of the lever 100 is fixed by virtue of its engagement with the intermittent link 62 while (when the bolt 112 is loose) the lever 104 is freely rotatable, this lever will rotate in a counterclockwise direction as the parts appear in FIG. 7 to pull down on the rod 106 to remove any play from the latch operator part.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be-made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A adjustment means for a door latch operator comprising a door handle and push button assembly having a support portion, a first lever pivotally mounted on said support portion, a push rod in said assembly for engaging and swinging said first lever when actuated, a second lever pivotally mounted on said support portion coaxially with said first lever, substantial surface portions of said levers overlapping, said first lever having a curved slot formed on an arc concentric with the pivotal axis of said levers, means connecting said second lever to a door latch, a first spring associated with said means for urging said levers in one rotative direction to cause said first lever to abut said push rod, releasable clamping means mounted on said overlapping surface portions to selectively fix the angular relationship between said levers to compensate for variations in the length of said push rod, comprising a stud extending through the slot in the first lever and threaded into the second lever, a second spring formed with said first lever engaging a portion on the second lever and urging said first lever toward said push rod, said first and second springs adapted to compensate for variations in the push rod length by automatically swinging one of said levers relative to the other lever when said clamping means is released.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein serrations are formed on one of said levers for engagement with the surface of the other of said levers to positively lock said levers from independent swinging movement upon tightening of said clamping means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 716,338 Laubscher Dec. 16, 1902 2,658,781 Allen Nov. 10, 1953 2,832,626 Priestman Apr. 29, 1958 

